What the Middle East conflict means for cruise passengers

The current situation

A number of cruise lines have amended or cancelled sailings following US-Israeli strikes on Iran and subsequent retaliatory drone and missile attacks across the region. Disruptions have affected parts of the Middle East, including the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, as well as Cyprus in the eastern Mediterranean.

Following the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and severe disruption to maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, there is growing uncertainty over how the conflict may evolve and what this could mean for travel across neighbouring countries and beyond, in both the short and long term.

What does this mean for cruise passengers?

The war has caused significant travel disruption. The United Nations’ International Maritime Organisation (IMO) estimated that 15,000 cruise passengers were stranded in the region after the initial strikes, leading to wide-scale repatriation efforts by both cruise lines and governments.

In response to the conflict, several cruise lines have cancelled or amended select itineraries in order to prioritise the safety of passengers and crew. Operators affected include MSC Cruises, TUI Cruises, Celestyal, AROYA Cruises and others.

Additionally, according to Julia Lo Bue-Said OBE, CEO of Advantage Travel Partnership, "The situation in the Middle East has triggered the most significant disruption to global air travel since the pandemic."

Thousands of flights have been cancelled, affecting airlines including British Airways, Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways, Emirates, Gulf Air, Qantas, Wizz Air and EasyJet.

What has MSC Cruises said?

When the war broke out, MSC Euribia was docked in Dubai’s port with passengers on board. The line quickly announced that the cruise scheduled to depart on 7 March was cancelled and that full refunds would be issued.

It also released the following statement: “Our priority is the safety and wellbeing of our guests and crew. We are following the guidance of the regional US military authorities to keep the ship in the port of Dubai.”

They later provided this update: “MSC Cruises has been working on the safest and quickest way to repatriate our guests and has taken decisive action to accelerate this by launching a dedicated flight operation.”

Ultimately, MSC Cruises ended up chartering a total of seven flights and purchased blocks of seats on commercial planes to repatriate more than 1,500 guests to countries including the UK, Italy, Germany, Spain, the US and Brazil. The line cited “unparalleled support” from its airline partner, Emirates, in the extensive operation.

Update: MSC Euribia has now departed the region via the Strait of Hormuz and is en route to Northern Europe. From mid-May, itineraries from Kiel and Copenhagen will operate as scheduled.

What has Celestyal said?

Celestyal initially cancelled departures from both Dubai and Abu Dhabi, offering full refunds or future cruise credit, while strongly encouraging guests to speak directly with their travel provider regarding onward or alternative travel arrangements.

On 2 March, a spokesperson said, “The safety and wellbeing of our guests and crew remains our highest priority. We regret to inform our guests and travel partners that, in view of the current circumstances in the Middle East, the Celestyal Journey cruise scheduled to depart from Dubai today, and the Celestyal Discovery cruise also scheduled to depart from Abu Dhabi today, have been cancelled.”

All passengers eventually disembarked, but for several weeks, the cruise ships were unable to reposition due to safety concerns around the Strait of Hormuz. This had a domino effect on other itineraries, causing the line to cancel cruises across April. Guests scheduled on these were also offered a full refund or future credit.

Update: Celestyal Discovery and Celestyal Journey have now transited the Strait of Hormuz, meaning itineraries scheduled for the Mediterranean are expected to commence as planned.

What has TUI Cruises said? 

This cruise operator has now completed the evacuation of approximately 5,000 guests and 1,500 crew members from Mein Schiff 5 in Doha, Qatar and Mein Schiff 4 in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

Repatriation efforts from the line included TUI-operated and charter flights. The company’s crisis management team succeeded in securing access to Al Ain Airport in the UAE, around three hours from Dubai, which played a key role in the operation.

Its stranded ships will remain in the region until it becomes safe to navigate the Strait of Hormuz.

In a statement, the tour operator also said: “It is not yet possible to definitively assess the impact of the crisis on business, as it is unclear how long the war will last. Bookings currently show lower demand for eastern destinations. At the same time, there is strong booking momentum for Mallorca, the Canary Islands, Rhodes and Crete, prompting TUI to offer additional flights to these destinations.”

What does the conflict mean for British cruise passengers?

The UK government is mounting an ongoing operation to support British nationals in affected areas, including the UAE. According to some media reports, up to 100,000 British nationals have been evacuated from the Middle East.

Speaking on 1 March, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer addressed UK citizens abroad, urging those in the region to register their presence and follow Foreign Office travel advice. He added, “I know this is a deeply worrying time, and we will continue to do all we can to support you.”

Official guidance also advises following instructions from local authorities as the situation continues to evolve.

If you are yet to depart on a cruise scheduled to call at impacted ports, it’s important to check directly with your cruise line whether your sailing has been cancelled, amended or rerouted. When cruises are cancelled, some cruise lines offer either a full refund or a future cruise credit, depending on their individual policies.

Passengers scheduled to take fly-cruises should also confirm their flight is still operating before travelling to the airport, even if they are not flying to a destination directly affected by the conflict.

According to Julia Lo Bue-Said, “If a flight is cancelled, a booking cannot be fulfilled, or official travel advice changes in a way that prevents travel, travellers will usually be entitled to a refund or a suitable alternative. For package holidays, a full refund would be due under the Package Travel Regulations if the organiser cancels. For flight-only bookings, passengers are entitled to a refund or re-routing if the airline cancels the service."

She continued, “These rights apply for flights departing from a UK/EU airport, or arriving in the UK/EU on a UK/EU airline; however, we understand in the current situation, most airlines will be doing all they can to help travellers."

"Additional compensation is unlikely to be payable where cancellations are caused by extraordinary circumstances beyond the provider’s control, such as conflict or airspace closures.”

What does it mean for cruises going forward?

Cruise disruptions have been concentrated in the Gulf, with regions beyond the Middle East operating normally aside from some minor knock-on changes, such as ship redeployment.

Cruise lines continue to monitor the evolving conflict and FCDO advice, but itineraries to popular destinations such as the western Mediterranean, Northern Europe and the Caribbean are largely continuing as planned.

We spoke to Lauren Wood, Head of Cruise at Destinology, about how tour operators are responding to the disruption.

In terms of how the conflict will affect the cruise booking curve going forward, she said, “We’re likely to see a short pause while customers take stock, followed by a return to booking as confidence rebuilds.”

“What we often see in situations like this is that people still want to travel – they may just adjust their plans slightly, whether that’s changing destinations, routing or timing.”

Three simple ways to cruise with confidence

1. Choose the right company

There's real reassurance in knowing that someone is handling things behind the scenes. Destinology, for instance, immediately activated its emergency response plan to repatriate over 400 customers from a number of destinations. All guests were returned home within seven days, and where necessary, they were placed in five-star hotels while onward travel was being arranged.

Lauren says, “Situations like this really highlight the value of having a team behind you. Our customers had direct access to experienced people who could step in immediately, take ownership and manage the situation on their behalf. It removes a huge amount of stress at a time when customers need support, not complexity.”

Simultaneously with the repatriation operation, the company also reviewed every booking departing through to May and spoke to each customer directly to talk through their options, while also handling 3,500 calls to ensure every query was answered.

2. Make sure you're protected

ABTA and ATOL protection are an important part of booking with confidence. They are UK financial protection schemes designed to help you if a company stops trading, so you won't be left out of pocket. ATOL covers package holidays that include flights, while ABTA covers non-flight holidays, such as cruises or rail-based tours.

As Lauren explains, “It gives customers an additional layer of financial security and reassurance, which becomes particularly important during periods of disruption.”

Travel insurance is also crucial, with cover ranging from medical treatment abroad to various types of disruption. Read our full guide to choosing the correct travel insurance here.

3. Monitor FCDO guidance

As well as liaising with your travel agent or tour operator, monitoring guidance from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is a good idea. Its travel advice is built on several sources, including on-the-ground intelligence, input from local governments and assessments from allied countries. Crucially, its website is frequently updated to reflect evolving situations.

Cruise lines themselves take FCDO advice into account when making decisions about rerouting or cancellations, and if you travel against official advice, your insurance policy may not cover you.

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